Closure for manholes, water-meter holes, and the like



I Jan. 18, 1927.

C. EHRET CLOSURE FOR MANHOLES, WATER METER HOLES, AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 1, 1925 A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

' UNITED STATES;

CONRAD EHRET, OF OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA.

CLOSURE FOR MANHOLES, WATER-METER HOLES, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed September 1,, 1925.

My invention pertains to closures for manholes,'water-meter holes, and the like.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which will be cheaply, easily and economically made, easily applied, easily fastened and unfastened, permanently locked when the key is withdrawn; one which will be secure against opening except with theme of the key, which cannot be unlocked Without the key; it prevents the turning over of the covers or closures for man-holes water-meter holes, and the like, and the dangers incident to such turning over; it prevents the tampering with the meters by any person except those having the use of the key.

The invention, novel features, details of construction, combination of parts, and other objects of the invention, will be hereinafter more particularly set forth, illustrated in the accompanying one-sheet drawing, and pointed out in the appended claim.

iteference is hereby made to the drawing forming a part of this application, of which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device, inverted.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the device, in section, on the line A-A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the exterior of the device.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

The device consists of a heavy circularly shaped outer fiat ring member, 1, with a. sunken curved portion 2, 3, lower than its outer fiat portion, four downwardly extending lugs on its under side 1, 5, 6 and 7, each having a perforation near its lower part at right angles to the inside centre of said fiat ring member, for the more easy handling of said flat ring member. Said fiat ring member 1 is seated in the outer portion of the man-hole, water-meter hole, or the like.

A second member 8 of said device is principally a plane surface and is circularly shaped, its outer periphery is beveled 9, 30, and is seated in the sunken curved portion of said member 1 at 2 and 3. Said member 8 has two downwardly extending lugs 13 14 on its lower surface placed thereon opposite a tongue member 21, said lugs curved outwardly and forming a bearing or hinge on which to raise said member 8 when said tongue member 21 is released and said member 8 is raised upwardly from its seat at said Serial No. 53,809.

tongue member, thereby resting on said lugs 13 and 14. Centrally of said member 8 on its under surface at right angles to said tongue member 21 is a downwardly extending perpendicular brace or arm 17 having two cross-section supporting braces or arms 15, 16, at right angles to said arm or brace 17. Said brace 17 is centrally perforated as at 18 in which perforation rides a bolt 19 forming a part of said tongue member 21; the fiat surface portion of said tongue member 21 rides on a downwardly extending lug 29on the under surface of said member 8 made integrally therewith. tongue member 21 has an elongated perforated slot 23 near its outer surface 24, through which slot 23 is an upstanding bolt 25 rigidly fastened to said member 8. A washer 27 is loosely placed over said member 21 on said bolt 25 and held in place thereon by a nut 26, to assist said tongue member 21 to operate slida'bly through said perforation 18 on bolt 19 and lug 29. A suitable coil spring 20 is placed on said bolt 19 between brace 17 and the shoulders on said tongue member 21 where said bolt 19 ends integral with said tongue member 21. Said tongue member 21 has a groove 22 on one side adjacent semi-circular lug 28. In the under side of said member 8 and integral therewith and opposite said groove 22 is a downwardly extending semicircular lug 28 the inner bore of which is integral with and a continuation of the round lobe 10 of the key-hole through the top of said member 8, said semi-circular lug 28 being open for the other two portions of the key-hole 11 and 12.

In operation: Vhen flat ring member 1 is securely placed on the outer portion of the man-hole, water-meter hole, or the like, the second member 8 is placed on the inner edges 2, 3 of member 1, with lugs 13 and 14 under said curved portion 2, 3; the key, which is a standard key of the man-hole, water-meter hole, and the like, is inserted in the key-hole 10, 11 and 12, and the key turned, the circular lobe 10 thereof being held tight by the semi-circular open lug 28, the portions 11 and 12 of said key being in operative position with the groove 22 of said tongue member 21, when the key is turned the portions of the key corresponding in shape to the key-hole 11 and 12 presses against the inner edge of the groove 22, and forces the tongue member 21 away from its seat, tightens the spring 20 around the bolt 19, forces said bolt Said 19 further-into said perforation 18; in brace 17, by slidably operating said tongue men1- ber 21 on lug 29, bolt 19 and bolt 25' and release beveled P it QJrZlaQ aidrtongue.

member from operative locking position with the undersideofi curvedportion-2, 3 of; 7 said member 1. By then pulling, or prying on the key, the member 8 is raised,-or entirely removed 1f deslred. When; it is aga n 1 desired to be placed in position for safety this process can be reversed, or gone over again, and the closure again placed in its securely tight, and lockedsin position.

It will'be observed whenever the key is r removed Whether the closure is in place or removed the spring 20 then automatically forces the tonguemember forward alongthe lineof'the elongated slot 23' so that bolt" 2 is at the innermost point of the throw of said,

slot 23, and when it is seated, throws the bevelled bolt 24 forward and under said ledge of the curved portions 2, of member 1; when not seated it is nnpossible to replace the member 8 Without the releasingot aidito gue membe n h n sea ed impossible to withdraw the key from the key-h le W t out ck g t e u e-v From the descriptlon of the one sheet ac;

companying drawing and the specifications the advantages of themak ng, construction,

operation andapplyingof the device will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which iny invention pertains; but it will be under 7 stand th t mndifirat Wit 1111 the scope of the claimed invention may be made 111. the. construction, operation vand application without dcpartlng from the principle of 'the invention, or-sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus. described the .inventiomwhat tersPatent, is":

Aclosure for the purpose describedfcomprising a substantially flat ring member with sunken concave port-ion. and'lugs, a circular member having beveled periphery reccived in said'sunken curvedport-ion, curved lugs, bracing arms and a transverse brace is claimed and desired to be secured by Letarm at right angles thereto, a tongue 1ne1n- 

